A nine-hour trip from Forfar in the northeast of Scotland proved worthwhile for 13-year-old Holly Smith and her Highland Kincardine Uist when the pair lifted the National Pony Society/Supreme Products mountain & moorland ridden Highland pony of the year final on their Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) debut.
“I am over the moon with how Uist felt, he gave me a feeling like nothing else,” said Holly.
The 10-year-old gelding, by Glenbanchor Gillebrigdhe, booked his pass here at Royal Cheshire. He also collected his ticket there to the Thor Atkinson Steel Fabrications Ltd junior M&M ridden large breeds pony final, which they will contest on Friday – competing alongside the National Pony Society/Supreme Products M&M ridden Connemara winners King Bunowen Castle Ali and Harlow White.
Holly has only had limited outings with Uist since she bought him last September from Sarah-Jane Forbes, who qualified him for HOYS twice. The new partnership missed their “local” Royal Highland as it fell soon after Royal Cheshire. “We spend most weeks just hacking on our farm at home,” said Holly, who has regular lessons with Kirsty Aird.
Second place went to Ellena Thomas with the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) winner Ashleyvale Glen Duror, a seven-year-old grey stallion owned by Ellena’s mother Karyn.
Superstar lives up to her name at HOYS
Sharn Linney rode Leisa Woodward’s exquisite mare Thistledown Superstar to land the National Pony Society/Supreme Products M&M ridden Welsh section C title. This was Sharn’s first win at HOYS in the saddle, having previously produced and led many winners including the HOYS multi-supreme Thistledown Van-Der-Vaart.
The seven-year-old mare is no stranger to HOYS. She made her debut here as a foal alongside her dam Popsters Megastar, who was contesting the supreme in-hand final, and finished second here last season in the ridden final; she has also finished second at the RIHS for two consecutive years.
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“She was golden in there and really lived up to her name,” said Sharn.
The Jones family’s home-bred five-year-old stallion Menai More Fury finished second, ridden and produced by Ella Eynon.
Producer Sarah Parker rode her own nine-year-old stallion Llynhelyg Mr Jones to win the National Pony Society/Supreme Products M&M ridden Welsh section D final, having spotted him at Royal Welsh three years ago.
“I saw him just waiting peacefully at Royal Welsh and thought that one is for me. He is just such an easy boy, he just strolled down to the arena today and owned it,” said Sarah, who plans to geld him as a future ride for her son Owen.
It was a double delight for Gemma Paxford’s Fairgrove stud as Fairgrove Shem (Libby Grota) and Fairgrove Morgan Mai (Danielle Hughes) stood second and third respectively.
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Celeste is an experienced equestrian journalist based in Cornwall, specialising in native breeds and carriage driving. She has been reporting showing for Horse & Hound since 2012. Celeste brings a lifelong passion for ponies to her reporting. She competed both plaited and native working hunter ponies up to her teenage years, then taught herself to carriage drive in 2018 and has successfully competed and won at county and national level.
